Howl
by Lioness.of.judah
Summary: " You say it's the wolves inside that are more terrifying...I would have to disagree." Eragon's plane crash lands in the wilderness and he is forced to rely on a strange and beautiful native american woman to keep him alive. But can they survive nature's wrath and hope to outsmart a ferocious and hungry wolf pack?- AU
1. The flight

Authors Note: _**I Know I have another story going on, that of which I DO mean to continue, it's just that…the idea for this one came to me and my fingers simply ACHED to write it. It's another AU, obviously, and all characters created by CP belong to him. Parts of the plot in this story were inspired by the movie 'Into the Grey' and as before, I do promise to give you my very best. All the glory and honor belongs to God. **_

_**-Lioness**_

**Howl**

**Chapter 1: The flight**

_If I were a member in an audience listening to the testimony of my life, I would stuff both my ears with cotton and then jam two fingers in for good measure, sit there and mutter under my breath " thou hearth no evil." Matter of fact, I might even march right up to the guy and give em a one-two, just for running his mouth like he aint supposed to. Because there isn't a crayon in the box dull enough to believe that something like that, something so life-altering, I'm talking change-you-forever-never-the-same-again kind of hullabaloo, would_ _ever happen to some guy off his aunt and uncle's farm, who'd never seen an airplane or any place outside the country in his life. The farm was all I need know back then._

_Never could I have conjured up the kind of imagination it would take to predict the future in store for me the moment I received a plane ticket to some far away city by my father, asking me to reunite with him and celebrate for my eighteenth birthday._

_I didn't know then that when I got on that plane I was saying goodbye for longer then I knew to the farm. I wouldn't see Aunt Marian or Uncle Garrow for many years to come. I would never reach my destination._

"Flight 192 this is your last call," sang the voice in the call box, "Last call for 192. Please board your plane. Last call 192."

I grunted as strong arms slapped me on the back.

"Well Son, tell the old man we said hello… And maybe mention that your aunt and I could use a smidgen of that financial support back at the fa-"

"Garrow Hayes that's enough out of you!" scolded Aunt Marian, shoving at her husband's shoulder. She walked right up to me and pulled me in for a hug.

"Don't you listen to him boy. The time he puts under the sun has fried a few of his brain cells I figure." She grasped me close and I felt her tears on my neck.

"We ask nothing of your father but that he sends you home soon."

I nodded and pulled her closer. The love I had for these two who had raised me went further than the moon and it would be hard to leave them for a summer. I knew the pressure of the farm, knew that Garrow's age would make it tough for him to work the fields alone and thinking about leaving him to that fate for a whole summer made me feel like repenting.

As if sensing my guilt, he fixed me with his signature stare. "Don't you worry yourself over an old man like me boy." There was a twinkle in his squinted eye as he lifted his chin.

" I may be old, but the woman there still swoons at the sight of me in my Getty up."

"Oh you old goat quite It." sighed an exasperated Aunt Marian as I let her go.

"Don't be frontin' like it aint so Mrs. Hayes."

She shoved him hard in the chest and he collected her there, enveloping her in his strong arms and standing proud, like he had tamed a lion.

Garrow chuckled deep from his chest and they both looked at each other with so much love I was suddenly very interested in my boots. They shared a kiss and I smiled, a little embarrassed by the public display of affection. When they broke apart we all shared mixed glances. I was leaving my home to go out into a world I knew nothing about, to meet a father I knew even less about. My gut clenched and my palms grew sweaty.

Garrow examined me from behind Aunt Marian and then grinned.

"I am curious to know if those city folks really do wipe their butts with their technology."

We all laughed and I came in for a group hug. My throat constricted and I coughed to hide it, though I don't know how successful I was when I spoke and my voice choked.

"Bye guys. See you after the harvest."

"Bye son."

"Bye Eragon, we love you."

"Ladies and gentlemen we are now closing the doors to flight 192. I repeat this is the final call for flight 192."

I pulled away from the arms of my family and gave them my best attempt at a grin.

"Goodbye."

I shifted my bag onto my shoulder and left them to board my flight, fingers tensing on the straps. The plane looked foreign to me and I was already feeling homesick. The flight would take two days to get to New York and glancing at it I whistled low under my breath and followed the other passengers on board.

_This big metal bird better fly safe. _I thought to myself.

A stewardess led me to my seat once I got on and we passed all the numbered aisles while I tried to ignore a sense of claustrophobia.

"If you could be seated here sir,' she instructed with a hand and a practiced smile, " we hope that you enjoy your flight on Alagaesia Airways." I tipped my hat to the lady and made to sit and stopped dead when I caught a glimpse of a woman sitting at the back of the plane.

She had the sun kissed skin of a Native American and long black hair in a loose braid that draped like a waterfall over her left shoulder. Her features were sharp and angular like a felines and her lips a nice shade of honey. What really struck me dumb were her eyes. I had never seen such eyes. They blazed like the polished side of an emerald stone and I found myself mesmerized by her.

Just then a man in a suit approached her and blocked my view I heard the distinct sound of something clicking together and when he removed himself to sit next to her, there was a pair of handcuffs on the strange beauty's wrists.

I blinked and finally took notice of her orange attire. So the strange beauty was a criminal? _What could such a woman do to get in that sort of trouble?_I thought to myself. Slanted green eyes glared at me and I gulped. If looks could kill...

"Sir we need to ask you to please take your seat so that the others may join us." called the stewardess. I swiftly sat.

My bag fell out of the cockpit above me and I jerked awake with a cough. The sight before me made me shake my head twice and I rubbed my eyes to awake from a dream.

Or maybe this was a nightmare…

The lights in all the aisles were flickering on and off and passengers all around me were screaming at the top of their lungs. The stewardess, who had led me to my seat, had her stylish bun in disarray around her neck and she rushed back and forth down the aisles trying the keep the atmosphere calm.

Calm for what?

There was a loud beeping noise coming from somewhere above me that sounded like an alarm before oxygen masks flew out of the ceiling and pelted me in the face.

The people grew to hysterics.

Just when I was about to shout for the stewardess a loud, horrible noise resounded over the entire plane like a rushing wind and everything went black.

Authors Note: _**I hope you give this one a try. I have already begun the next chapter. Chapters, I intend to make a little more on the lengthy side, but this first one is short for…well story telling reasons (shrug) **__** Stay tuned.**_

Lioness


	2. Day 1

Authors Note:

Tamerlain85 : Yes, romance is promised. I hope you stick around!

Elemental Dragon Slayer: Thank you , and yeah Arya does have a strange role, but I hope you'll grow to like it. She's my favorite character

Mark Silverwing : I really appreciate that you took the time to give me some advice. Thank you, your help gave me a few more followers' haha. I'm glad you liked the chapter

ticklethedragon1: Thank you so much!

**Alright…into the fray we go! **

Chapter 2: Day 1

_Imagine yourself as a small, weightless_ _feather; the sun on your face, the wind at your back, tranquility blissfully guiding you into a vast sky of endless journey... And then suddenly, your calming breeze evaporates and the sky is no longer a gift but a curse as the ground seeks you and death reaches out to claim his right. As you plummet from a dominion high, your life flashes before you and you see with regret that as a feather, you didn't accomplish much during your existence besides going where the wind carried you, and looking down upon others less fortunate…_

I awoke buried in darkness.

Upon instinct, my immediate reaction was to move but a pain the likes of which I had never experienced before cascaded through me like wildfire and I was consumed by the sound of my own agonized screams.

Smoke in the air around me got sucked into my lungs at the action and my screams were soon substituted by a fit of body aching coughs. I could taste blood when the fits finally subdued and I began to desperately cry for help.

"Help!" I cried, "Somebody, anybody I'm trapped down here!"

Minutes of my pleading passed before I remembered that I had been part of a plane crash and that I was likely the only survivor.

As the revelation dawned on me, large tears began to mix with the blood running down my face and I cried in remorse for the life I could have lived. The pain was nothing compared to the knowledge of what I would be leaving behind.

The father I was to meet, the world I was supposed to see, my aunt and uncle. A wife and family someday…

It just wasn't fair.

As I cried, the smoke in the air thickened and I could feel its presence beginning to consume what bits of consciousness I had left.

I was going to die.

"Dear God." I sobbed, "Please be there for my family back home. They…They are going to need you Lord. I never ask for much from you but this…God this is going to kill them inside." I chocked on the air and began to cough up blood.

Setting my jaw tightly to ride the waves of pain I continued. "I plead with you; don't let them beat themselves up over this. It wasn't their fault…"

My thoughts began to fade and numbness began to overtake me. The pain slowly lessened and I felt my eye lids start to flutter shut.

I was suddenly vaguely aware of a commotion happening above me and then something was moved to the side in the darkness and a bright light shown down my face from above.

I cringed and blinked before squinting up at the disturbance and instantly registering a pair of solemn green eyes staring down at me.

The woman blinked once in shock before she was pushed aside and others took her place in the small ring of light.

* * *

Something cold struck me in the face and I immediately jolted upright only to gasp and wither in pain as my chest screamed at me with the movement. As I tossed and turned in the snow, I was approached by a tall man in a bundle of clothing, who knelt before me and pushed me down gently.

"Lay still. I apologize for that, but if I had not woken you... you would have been lost to us."

His voice was low and weary and he sounded quite old.

I looked up and tried to speak by failed, pain rolling off of me in waves.

"My name is Brom" he said, and as if to eliminate any confusion he continued slowly, "and you have been one of the few to survive the fatal plane crash of flight 192. There are not much of us, but we are not alone and that is better than I could have hoped for."

I nodded before my world began to tilt and only briefly registered Brom leaping out of the way as I emptied my stomach into the snow beside me. Exhaustion fell over me like the plague when i was finished and so I lied there before my own vomit, not caring about the eyes of the few survivors staring at me.

"I know it is a lot to take in… But you are going to have to shape up in order to survive and make it through all this." His hand came to rub slow circles on my back and I just cried.

_How could this have happened, things like this aren't supposed to just happen!_

The hand at my back left as Brom came to sit beside me, glancing wearily at the others around the fire. They were just as beaten up as me, if not more so. At my count, there were five of them.

_five _out of a total of nearly _hundereds_ that had been on the plane with us.

"You should count your stars boy. Had that Indian lass over there not heard your prayers you'd be good as dead." Spoke a man who looked to be in his late thirties. He had short brown hair and a large gash running down his face starting at his hair line and ending at his chin.

I glanced towards where he had inclined and saw the woman off furthest from the fire, wrapped under an assortment of rallied jackets. Her dark midnight hair was still in its braid over her shoulder, but parts of it hung lose and shaped the curve of her cheek, hiding her features from me.

"Thank you for saving my life." I whispered weakly but sincerely as I whipped my mouth of the retching and was graced with the tiniest of nods. She did not turn to face me.

I glanced at the fire of burning luggage and smelt death as the wind picked up. A lump formed in my throat as I stared and thought of all the people that had died.

When Brom came and placed several layers of clothing over me, I ignored the pain in my chest at spoke up to my savior once more.

"What is it that you are looking for?"

She did not reply and a blonde haired woman across the fire laughed darkly, clutching at a rather nasty looking gash along her arm.

"Don't waste your time. She's a criminal if you haven't noticed and I doubt she even speaks English."

"We are not alone." warned a cool, richly accented voice, and all eyes snapped to the woman in question before a high pitched howl pierced the night.

The hair on my neck rose and I watched in horror as several pairs of luminescent yellow eyes light up in the darkness.

_Dear god Protect us._

**Author's note: stay tuned! -lioness**


	3. Day 2

**Mark SilverWing**: Nope, it's Murtagh, Arya, Brom, Eragon, and random blonde lady who boarded a rather unlucky plane.

**Tamerlain85:** Everyone's saying that but nope . She will be in this however, just maybe not as you would expect. Thank you for reviewing on both stories!:)

**Elemental Dragon Slayer:** Nope, not yet but I'll make him Later for sure! And yup. Here they come!

**N-Six:** I never thought of it that way, but now that you pointed it out I guess she could have been seen as a slave ha-ha. But nah, not really in this. You'll see! Thank you for your words

**Doubrown**: Cool, hope I haven't lost you!

**Timkaylor885:** Thank you!

**Author's apology: Hi everyone, I'm so sorry. I know it's been a really long time. I do have very good reasons why I was gone but they are quite personal. Just keep me in your prayers****. I do thank all of you who expressed your concern****. **

**p.s I think I should clarify. Arya is native American Indian, not Indian like our lovely friends from India. Though hey, that would be cool… but for this story she's Native American. You might have known that, but I just wanted to set it right.**

**-lioness**

_**Prieviously: **__"We are not alone." warned a cool, richly accented voice. All eyes shot to the woman in question before a high pitched howl pierced the night._

_The hair on my neck rose as I watched in horror, several pairs of luminescent yellow eyes light up the darkness._

_Dear God protect us._

**Day 2**

The Indian woman, having been the furthest out, had to slowly stand to her feet as the intimidating wolves progressed out of the night.

As they neared, I watched her shoulders tense as she fought with her bindings along her wrists and I attempted to run to her aid. I strong hand caught my arm.

I glanced back to see Brom, shaking his head and watching the scene with a mixture of fear and sadness.

The wolves growled in unison at the woman, muzzles drawn back into taunt snarls as the hairs on their backs rose aggressively. One came forth and swatted at her but missed as she managed leap out of the way, landing in a half crouch. Another then crept forward, this time coming at an angle and forcing her to give her back to the pack as she tried to avoid and dance around him.

Unable to see from behind, a third wolf pounced on her back and sent the woman sprawling in the snow, biting down hard on her shoulder as the rest of the pack then converged for their share of the meal.

Her screams changed something in me and without thinking I immediately broke free of Brom's grip and blindly leapt into the fray of fur and teeth. I caught a few off guard and began kicking and fighting in any way possible but the wolves were very aggressive and retaliated mercilessly. I cried out in pain as one clamped down on my face and sunk his teeth into my flesh. Another began to nip at legs and arms, making me squirm in attempts to be free of the madness.

A gun shot was fired and suddenly the fury of fur and violence came to a screeching halt. I could not see who had done it at first, but then with one eye I saw Brom with a rifle aimed directly at the wolf chewing on my face. He re-cocked his pistol and fired again, this time sending a bullet straight through the creature's head. The animal collapsed and his fangs fell from my face as the others fled, howling and hissing angrily as Brom continued to fire after them.

With the one good eye still functioning, I blinked through the blood running down my face and saw the woman laying just a few feet from me, unconscious and bleeding from her shoulder profusely.

"Brom help…help her…" I croaked, just before losing consciousness.

_I could feel the sun on my face as I leaned back in the pick-up of uncle Garrow's truck. Smiling, I thought to myself that I was mighty smart, choosing such a hiding place and that he'd never find me here._

_I could hear him calling my name and making snide remarks and threats about my doomed fate when he'd catch me. And my mother was a Billy goat!_

"_Oh not you won't uncle Garrow." I snickered and crossed my legs at the ankles, completely content beneath the sun and the security of my hiding place. Just then, there was a ruffling in the bushes to my right and I squeezed my eyes shut tight, sucking in my lip to keep the laughter at bay._

"_Oh Eragon," he called, "when I find you I'm gunna get you. Oh yes," he taunted, "you just wait in see cause ima-"_

"_GET YOU!" but instead of my uncle's face I saw a wolf and screamed as he leapt at me, fangs and claws extended for the kill…_

A cool hand touched my forehead and I leapt forward, startled and yelling as I awoke from the nightmare. Instantly I cried out in agony, attempting to claw at the horrible itch near my left eye...

"Enough!" snapped what sounded like Brom and hands reached out and stilled my movements. "Eragon, be calm or you'll make it worse."

I tried to open my eyes but the pain came back full force and I found that I could only lift my right eye. The other one was…

"That was probably the stupidest thing I'd ever seen boy. Were you disappointed that you survived the plane crash? Or did you just think some good old turok action would do you in?" With my working eye, I glanced at Brom through and found him to be glaring while the others stood behind him, hovering.

"We should have just let them eat him; maybe they'd have leave us alone then." Spoke the black haired man, his face pale with fear as he scanned the area for any signs of the pack.

I could hear the blonde woman whimpering as she looked at something off to my left that I couldn't see.

"Look what those horrible monsters did to her." She cried, before collapsing in the snow and full blown wailing in fear. "We're already dead!"

Ignoring the pain, I lifted my head and looked to see the Indian woman whose life I had risked mine to salvage, her shoulder dripping blood though it was tied and the wound concealed by a piece of ripped clothing.. Even the snow beneath her was a dark, murky red.

I reached up to touch where my left eye was and my fingers made contact with cloth. I looked to Brom once more, fearing the worst.

"There isn't a thing we can do for that out here son, I'm sorry." He said, answering my unvoiced question.

I had lost an eye to the wolves.

**Authors Note: sorry this is so short everyone, but I had to use it to make way for the next chapter. Hope you are still enjoying yourselves, and thanks for being so patient. **


	4. day 4

Krokodyl: ** I think he was in shock and it caused a delayed reaction. And HAHA hmm Eragon as a pirate…maybe in a different fic.**

**E.D.S****- there will be some kicking of the butt. Just you wait.**

**Eragonfan177- You're so sweet. Thank you****!**

**Mark Silverwing- Thank you, I saw that when it was too late :/. And sorry if Arya disappointed you! I guess you could say she gave him the cold shoulder ;).except in this it's the bitten one.**

**GaaraSandNiN****: Yes! A lot of my inspiration on writing this came from that movie!**

**Brightwatcher- Thank you for giving this a chance****. I hope you stick with it!:)**

**Evatross- Patience..:)**

**p.s everyone note the time skip!**

Day 4 (time jump of two days)

By the fourth day snow was falling and falling hard. The wolves had yet to return, but I knew it was only a matter of time. They had tasted our blood and they know that we have wounded. Like I said, only a matter of time.

I shivered and wrapped myself tighter into my jacket. As I wheezed out a cough, I watched wearily as the pocket of air formed into small cloud as I exhaled.

Looking down from my perch atop the plane's broken wing, I could easily oversee the Indian woman whose protection had so suddenly become my obsession. She had regained consciousness several times since the incident, but on account of her injury had obtained a very high fever and was in and out of coherency at random points of the day. Even with one eye, I could see that she was sweating and once more, I contemplated if I had saved her for a fate worse than death.

As she shivered and struggled with her fever, I prayed to God that he'd give her strength enough not to pass through his gates so soon. Jumping down from my perch, I dabbed her forehead with my sleeve and frowned.

I hadn't even learned her name yet.

"I don't care Murtagh! That _criminal_ is not worth what rations we have left!" Screamed the annoying/ rather disgusting blonde who had whined about what little food we had all day.

She stormed over some discarded luggage and nearly tripped before stomping up to the sick woman and pointing an accusing finger at her sleeping form

"Just LOOK at her! She's probably dead already and I am practically starving myself just because you idiots are trying to keep her alive!"

I growled and bit down hard on my tongue before standing and pushing the offending finger away.

"Leave her alone." I snapped and stood protectively over her, "She's not hurting anyone."

The blonde laughed darkly and over her shoulder I could see Brom and Murtagh finally catch up. Both frowned deeply at the woman.

"Hasn't hurt anyone? Do you know who she IS boy?! This _woman_ is a convicted _murderer_!" I surpresed my shock and crossed my arms across my chest. My frown curved until I had a distinct indent on my lower forehead.

"You don't know that…how could you know that?" I defended.

Murtagh came up to the blonde and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah Marc, how could you know that? You don't know what she was going in for. You just know that she's in handcuffs."

The blonde shoved him off. "Who was being transported into the state pin? HA!" she chortled and then in her madness, proceeded to try to drag the woman out into the vast ocean of snow by her foot.

"I say we let the wolves have her now before she's killed us all in our sleep!"

I was about to tackle the woman when suddenly those beautiful green eyes opened and immediately their beholder defended herself, twisting and kicking her attacker hard in the knees with a yell.

The blonde went down laughing hysterically.

"Wow she's lost it." Whispered Murtagh but I ignored him and ran to other more sane woman who was now awake.

She startled when I came up to her and ready to lash out at me but gasped in pain and grabbed her shoulder. After panting for a few moments, her emerald eyes flashed up at me and her entire facial expression screamed, _touch me and die._

"Hey hey whoa! Easy…" I calmed, falling to my knees before her. I held my hands up in surrender.

"It's just me. You know…the guy you found buried under miles of debris and wreckage?" I urged gently.

I watched as recognition fell across her beautiful features before her eyes locked on the bandaged side of my face.

I smiled half heartedly, "A small price to pay." I offered and held out my hand. "Please let me help you, I know you're sick."

She glared at me and tried to stand herself, but collapsed and whimpered. Frowning, I inched closer to her and hesitantly wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I've got it!" she snapped but contradicted herself moments later when she tried to stand again. I could feel her whole body shaking with fever. Heck even being this close to her was warming me!

"Please." I pleaded and her frustrated eyes flashed to mine. I softened my expression and let my concern show in my one eye.

"Let me help you like you helped me."

Finally, she conceded and I wrapped my arm carefully around her and lifted. She leaned against me as we stood and Brom and Murtagh watched us with mixtures of hesitance and approval.

"Go put her back against the plane and let's start a fire." Sighed Brom, but as we turned to walk back there was a scream and everyone spun around to see a massive wolf chomp down on Marcy's head and drag her away.

Murtagh ran at the wolf yelling by the beast growled and bit down harder, blood soaking the snow beneath him and then turned and ran a now lifeless broad hanging from his jaws.

Everyone watched as the mass of fur faded into the fog and snow, blood trailing behind him.

(LATER THAT NIGHT)

I stared into the flames of our meager fire in silence. There were a few crackles and then a burning piece of luggage fell over, sending red and orange cinders into the vastly open sky above us. My eyes didn't follow their journey. All I saw as I stared into the flames was Marcy's face just before the wolf had concealed her with his jaws.

Murtagh, the reason for our fire, took out his lighter and lit another one of his confounded cigarettes.

"Poor wench didn't deserve it." He said, shaking his head.

My frown deepened and I tightened my hands into fists. Suddenly, a warm hand touched my shoulder and I turned my head to see the beautiful Indian woman awake and struggling to sit up with her hands bound.

Her hair around her head was damp with sweat and her eyes were slightly glazed over. I twisted and curled my arm under one of hers, mindful of her wounded side and pulled her up.

Apparently to worn out to challenge me against the movement, she sagged against me.

"My people," She spoke in a soft and low voice that tickled my neck and sent a mild shiver down my spine, "often speak of mother nature as being someone not to be comprehended by eyes alone but by the passing of the moon." The firelight reflected in her eyes as she shifted and caught my gaze.

"Not all things are meant to be understood in the moments they happen." She whispered, before reaching up and turning my chin to gaze at my covered wound.

"You are very brave." She said, the firelight reflecting in her eyes as she met my gaze, she shifted. "But very stupid. You are lucky to be alive."

She released me and returned her eyes to the fire.

I blinked, completely at a loss for words. Murtagh chuckled darkly from his side of the fire puffed his cigarette.

"Eragon." I blurted and she glanced at me again curiously.

"My name is Eragon Hayes." I repeated, clearing my throat.

With a nod as swift as a bird, she replied. "I am Arya."

Her eyes returned to the fire as did mine. Brom, sitting on the other side of Arya pulled out his gun and checked his chambers.

"I'm all out of bullets." He whispered, "If they come for us again, we'll be defenseless."

Murtagh scoffed and flicked the burning end of his cigarette before bringing it to his lips.

"Damn. What a way to go out huh?"

I shot him a glare. "Who say's we have to go down without a fight?"

Murtagh let out a booming laugh. "What didn't learn the first time you tried to go all turok boy?"

"We cannot stay here." Said Arya, and all eyes flickered to her as she stared at the flame.

"Our rations will eventually fade and then the wolves will begin to pick us off one by one. It has already begun." She finished darkly before looking around the fire.

"We need to plan a course and take it."

"You mean go wondering about aimlessly to speed up the process?" grunted Murtagh, "Not likely baby cakes."

Brom shook his head, "No she's right. I don't want to sit here any longer. We need to survive long enough for help to come."

"And how are we going to do that exactly?" I asked

Arya caught my eye again and what I saw in her gaze made my palms sweat.

"We stay alive."

**Author's note: :) stay tuned. I think I corrected all possible mistakes but let me know if you see any.**


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